A Father's
Thoughts...
I'm not sure that we can generalise about our persoanl
experience but...
There has not been a time in our relationship where I've
felt more in love with, in awe of, attached to or inspired
by my wife Sue than when she was birthing. I just cannot
imagine not being there.
How could I have told my young daughter's (for the
umpteenth time)last week when we were snuggled up together
in our sleeping bags in a tent on an overnight hike about
where they were conceived, about what we were doing during
their gestation, about what happened when labour started.
How Mum didn't want me to go canoeing with a friend when she
knew Sarah was on the way and how Dad cried because he was
so excited about Sarah being the first girl, about how I
thought I'd have to carry Mum across to the hospital for
Philly's birth, how she was the only one to come in the
middle of the night. The special little things about their
birth stories.
How strange it would seem to them if I hadn't been there
when they were born, to share their first moments, to be
able to (for the next 50 years) relive with them and Sue
those special, momentous times in our lives. We laugh
together, cry together, live together, love together, will
die together, why wouldn't we birth together?
But maybe Sarah (age 11)should comment:
" I don't understand all dads strange words in this but Dad
tells us lots of hilarious tales about when we are born and
lots of other stories. That's one of the reasons he's a
fabulous Dad!!!!!!!!!! If he wasn't with mum when we were
born then we wouldn't know as much because Mum doesn't tell
stories as funny as Dad does. My Dad is the best Dad a girl
can want." From Sarah
Philly (age 9):
"I like to hear funny stories from Dad about when I was
born!"
Sue: I have been silent through a lot of discussions on
this channel, but have to comment on this topic. I agree
with Tina about how some men may be scared for their
partners when there is high medical intervention, but all I
can say is that (having been present at a lot of births,
including my four) men are extremely important to their
partners (especially helping them to be strong when pressure
is building to intervene in the transition stage when all is
getting out of control) Personally, I believe that my
husband was present at conception, and was extremely
important at the birth of OUR children.
Sue and Dave
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